What if I told you that there is a way to share all your LinkedIn articles in one link, memorable and brand-friendly? There is indeed a new feature that does for your articles what so called vanity URL (customized URL) does for your LinkedIn profile! ... Unless you live under a rock, you have heard that LinkedIn publisher is a… Continue reading You’re So Vain: Vanity URL for Your LinkedIn Articles→

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Once in a while, a question shows up in my inbox that makes me pause, smile, shake my head and ask myself: "Why didn’t it occur to me to write about this before?" "Dear Maria, I am struggling with the leadership step in my career. I have been a Software Developer for the last 10… Continue reading 12 Baby Steps to Leadership→

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Imagine that you have two employees working on the same project. They are both talented and diligent; however, they don't coordinate their efforts at all. Do you think there is any efficiency lost due to them not setting a common strategy and not working in sync? You bet there is! And yet, this is exactly… Continue reading It Takes Two to Tango: LinkedIn/Twitter Interface→

“I am a motivated, passionate and creative expert, driven, responsible, with an extensive experience in various organizational roles, track record of success, and a strategic mind set.” How does this description sound to you? Do you want to hire this person? … This was a trick question. I wrote this sentence using top 10 most overused… Continue reading Wanted: Unmotivated, Dispassionate Employees→

"Is having a stellar resume a good enough substitute to having a LinkedIn profile?" I was asked this question on multiple occasions, but haven't written an article on the topic yet. So when yesterday someone inquired: "I have a great resume, so I don't need a LinkedIn profile, right?", I knew I had to do… Continue reading The Showdown: Resume vs. LinkedIn Profile→

Did you know that all it takes to avoid making costly mistakes in the area of LinkedIn engagement is asking 3 simple questions before you take action? Let me explain. When considering taking a certain action on LinkedIn, ask yourself: 1. Will it negatively affect my personal brand? 2. Will it negatively affect the people… Continue reading 3 Magical LinkedIn Questions to Ask→

Do you have a LinkedIn to do list? What’s that, you ask? It's simply a list of activities you will be engaging in on LinkedIn to accomplish your professional goals. It's a bridge between your long term objectives and your everyday activities. It's the answer to your: "Now that I have clarified my goals, how exactly… Continue reading Your LinkedIn To Do List→

Maria, what do you make of great content with grammatical mistakes? Does it warrant intense public criticism? Without a doubt, proofreading is crucial - for anyone, but especially for a writer. While I agree with the sentiment that errors can distract from the content of the article, I am convinced that intensely criticizing an author in… Continue reading Are You Mad About Grammatical Mistakes?→

Still don't have a powerful, substantial and visually appealing LinkedIn portfolio? Your competition does! Including a portfolio of your work in LinkedIn profile is a great way to demonstrate what you bring to the table, as opposed to simply talking about it. This applies to your situation, whether you are an artist or a business… Continue reading Only an Artist Needs a LinkedIn Portfolio, Right? Wrong!→

I am very excited about LinkedIn publishing platform. There are many reasons why you want to leverage it, and here are the top five: It allows your long-form posts to become a part of our profile It comes with a potential be featured on LinkedIn Pulse (in other words, LinkedIn will recommend your article to other members… Continue reading Top 5 Reasons to Use LinkedIn Publishing Platform→

You have heard that it's important to customize your LinkedIn profile URL (claim your vanity URL), but simply didn't get around to it. Or, most likely, you don't feel particularly motivated to take care of this as you don't know why exactly it matters. So why is it crucial to customize your LinkedIn profile URL, you ask? This little… Continue reading Claim Your Territory: Customize Your LinkedIn Profile URL→

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Last week I had the privilege of speaking at LiFT conference in Richmond. We had a wonderful audience of about 200 women (and a few good men too 😊). My speaking partners Ed and Shannon were wonderful to collaborate with, and made it easy for the concepts we were discussing to come alive for the… Continue reading LiFT Reflections →

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Happy December my friends! The last month of 2016 is here, can you believe it? Life moves fast, doesn't it? And my question for you is not "Are you moving fast enough to keep up?" but "Are you moving too fast?" This December, I ask you to step back, to take a big picture look… Continue reading Happy December!→

It was a privilege and an honor to speak for an altogether amazing group of female entrepreneurs visiting Washington DC as part of #10KWomen initiative (a US Department of State Entrepreneurship Program for Women in the Middle East). To say that this is an inspiring group is to describe a shadow of the impression they… Continue reading Happy #IWD2016!→